West News

California Court to Weigh Fate of Law Treating App-Based Drivers as Contractors

California’s top state court on Tuesday will consider a labor union’s challenge to a ballot measure allowing app-based services such as Uber and Lyft to classify drivers in the state as independent contractors rather than as employees with more benefits. …

Cal/OSHA Beefing Up Safety Enforcement to Protect Workers Against Silicosis

California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health reports seeing growing number of silicosis cases among stone workers in California, and the agency is launching efforts to beef up its enforcement efforts. Since 2019, more than 100 California stone workers have …

Hawaii Outlines Efforts to Prevent Another Devastating Wildfire Ahead of a Dry Season

As Maui continues to recover from the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century, Hawaii officials are looking at preventing another similar disaster ahead of what is expected to be a dry, fire-prone season, Gov. Josh Green said in …

Arizona Wildfire Growing Amid Windy Conditions

A wildfire has led the U.S. Forest Service to shut down a portion of the Tonto National Forest has grown to more than 14,000 acres. The Wildcat Fire increased in size because of windy weather conditions Sunday, prompting the Tonto …

California’s Scenic Highway 1 to Big Sur Finally Opens to Around-The-Clock Travel

A section of California’s scenic Highway 1 leading to the famous Big Sur coast reopened to around-the-clock traffic Friday after stabilization of a storm-triggered rockslide that dropped a chunk of one lane into the ocean and hampered tourism. The gap …

Landslide Forces Closure of Iconic California Chapel

A decades-old landslide that’s rapidly accelerating has forced the dismantling of Wayfarers Chapel, an iconic Southern California church that was designed by one of famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s sons and built among soaring redwoods and sweeping Pacific Ocean views. …

Hawaii Study: Nearly 75% of Wildfire Survey Participants Have Respiratory Issues

A University of Hawaii study examining the health effects of last year’s deadly wildfires on Maui found that up to 74% of participants may have difficulty breathing and otherwise have poor respiratory health, and almost half showed signs of compromised …

Family of California Veteran Who Died After Officer Knelt on His Neck Settles for $7.5M

Family members of a Navy veteran who died in 2020 after a police officer pressed a knee to his neck for nearly five minutes while he was in a mental health crisis have settled a federal lawsuit against the Northern …

Washington Contractor, Grower Face $650K in Fines After Worker Dies in Apple Storage Room

Two Washington companies face a combined $650,000 in fines for violations in connection with a worker who died from asphyxiation after entering an apple storage facility where the oxygen had been removed from the air. The incident on Oct. 1, …

Former Raiders Coach Loses Nevada High Court Ruling in NFL Emails Suit

Former NFL coach Jon Gruden lost a Nevada Supreme Court ruling in a contract interference and conspiracy lawsuit he filed against the league after he resigned from the Las Vegas Raiders in 2021, but his lawyer said he will appeal. …

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